Posts Tagged ‘building’

A Building Energy Rating (BER) Certificate is an indication of the energy performance of a home. A BER certificate is accompanied by an Advisory Report which identifies how you might improve the energy performance of your home.

All new homes built by Niall Linehan Construction are designed to be energy efficient. The Cork based builder will employ a number of modern techniques to ensure the new house have excellent energy ratings and can be awarded a good BER certificate.

BER is the calculated energy use for space and hot water heating, ventilation and lighting based on standard occupancy. A BER is similar to the energy label for a household electrical appliance like your fridge. The label has a scale of A-G. A-rated homes are the most energy efficient and will tend to have the lowest energy bills.

A BER is compulsory for all homes offered for sale or rent. A BER is also required before a new home is occupied for the first time.

There are exemptions for certain categories of homes, for example, protected structures.

Advertisements must include BER details when a home is offered for sale or rent.

If you are buying or renting a house or apartment, you are entitled to a BER so ask the seller, landlord or agent for it.

BER assessments are completed by registered BER Assessors who have been trained under the National Framework of Qualifications, passed the SEAI BER Assessor exam and have registered with SEAI.

A BER is required under the following circumstances:

The home owner must obtain a BER before a new home is occupied for the first time regardless of whether it is offered for sale or rent.

When a new or existing home is offered for sale or rent the seller / renter must provide a BER to prospective buyers or tenants. BER details must be included in advertisements when a home is offered for sale or rent.

BER assessments performed on new homes also help determine compliance to Part L of the Building Regulations.

Home renovation tax break to boost construction

Home Renovation Initiative HRI scheme will incentivise domestic renovations and increase demand for small construction jobs

Home Renovation Incentive HRI scheme

Finance (No 2) Bill 2013 provides for a Home Renovation Incentive HRI scheme, which will run from 25 October 2013 to 31 December 2015. The Incentive provides for tax relief for Homeowners by way of an Income Tax credit at 13.5% of qualifying expenditure on repair, renovation or improvement works carried out on a main home by qualifying Contractors.

Qualifying expenditure is expenditure subject to the 13.5% VAT rate.

The works must cost a minimum of €4,405 (before VAT), which will attract a credit of €595. Where the cost of the works exceeds €30,000 (before VAT), a maximum credit of €4,050 will apply.

The credit is payable over the two years following the year in which the building work is carried out and paid for. 2015 will be the first year for HRI tax credits.

The works must be carried out on or after 25 October 2013 and up to 31 December 2015. Homeowners must be Local Property Tax compliant in order to qualify under the Incentive while Contractors must be VAT registered and tax compliant in order to qualify to carry out works under the HRI.

While systems have yet to be developed, the Incentive will be administered through Revenue’s online systems. All works, payments and claims will be registered electronically with Revenue.

Niall Linehan Construction are currently engaged in constructing a new two storey contemporary house in Rathcormack, County Cork.

The four bedroom dwelling is in a classic style with many contemporary elements, including a ‘Smart Homes’ system.

Rathcormack Classic Newbuild Home Rere Elevation

The new build family home is in the small town of Rathcormack which was previously on the main Cork to Dublin Road.

Since Rathcormack was bypassed by the M7 motorway the traffic flow through the town has been drastically reduced.

Rathcormack Classic Newbuild Home Front

Rathcormac Classic New Build Home Construction Details

The Rathcormac family home has been constructed using the traditional block construction method with concrete slab floors.

The poured concrete floors accommodate underfloor heating which is part of a sophisticated and economical home heating system.

The central heating and hot water system features a geothermal ground source heat pump and a heat recovery ventilation system.

The building has alu-clad air tight timber windows and doors. These energy-efficient windows and doors present a great opportunity to save energy and thereby reduce the heating bills.

The alu-clad windows also help to contribute to a more comfortable indoor climate in the home. These are regarded as the optimal solution when it comes to energy-efficient windows and doors.

The two storey home is topped with a hipped natural slate roof. This type of roof is where all the sides slope downwards to the walls. As a result the house has no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. The result is a very elegant and very practical design which adds to the classic appearance of the dwelling.

The Rathcormack new build Georgian style home also has zinc flat roofs and includes a large, airtight two meter by two meter roof light.

Many of the construction features will be familiar to those know the work of Niall Linehan Construction.

Rathcormac Classic New Build Home Smart Features

The smart home system being installed in the Rathcormac house controls a wide range of features from lighting and heating to security systems and electric gates.

This state of the art system allows Smartphone and Tablet control over the electrical and electronic systems in the house, whether the owners are at home or abroad.

The lighting can be controlled to create different moods, or levels of lighting for practical, efficiency or security reasons.

Accurate energy usage reports can be generated from each electrical circuit in the building.

An added security feature is the ability to create a bespoke ‘Holiday Mode’ to help create the impression that the house is occupied even during the periods that the owners are away on holiday.
More about the Rathcormac house